Witamy!
Polish cuisine is comprised of a very wide variety of dishes and flavors. They come from the influences 14th century French and Italian royalty, from the worldly wives of 18th and 19th century Polish gentry, and from the flavors left behind by the invading armies of neighboring lands.
Among the most original Polish dishes are the soups, such as Sour Soup, Dried Mushroom Soup, Dill Soup, or Pickle Soup. And among the best of Polish soups are the chilled fruit soups. Served cold on a hot summer day, they are refreshing, full of flavor, and always enjoyed by entire families, regardless of age.
Fruit soups are not too sweet and Poles eat them as a first course for supper or as the main, or for a heartier course with noodles. Sometimes they are served after the main course, as a healthier replacement for dessert.
Chilled Strawberry Soup
Serves 6
1 quart ripe strawberries, washed and hulled
1 quart buttermilk
½ cup sugar
2/3 cup sour cream
Using a blender, mix the strawberries and 1 cup of the buttermilk for a few seconds until smooth. Add the sugar and remaining buttermilk and mix well. Chill thoroughly. Serve with home-made buttery croutons.
Chilled Blueberry Soup
Serves 6
1 quart blueberries
1 slice white bread
4 cups water
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ cup sugar
2/3 cup sour cream
Croutons
Add the blueberries and bread to one cup of boiling water. Bring back to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in a blender for just a few seconds until smooth. Add remaining 3 cups of boiling water, spices and sugar, blend well until smooth. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Just before serving, add sour cream to the soup tureen and mix. Garnish each serving with croutons.
For two delicious varieties, substitute 1½ pounds of pitted Italian plums or 3 pints of pitted cherries, and increase the sour cream a bit to 2/3 cup.
Smacznego!
Witamy!
Poles love to bake with fruit and they always have. This particular recipe was an old favorite of Peter’s Mother’s and it calls for canned pineapple. But for us, today, this classic dessert is an attractive opportunity to take advantage of seasonal harvests and what is best in the grocery stores and farmer’s markets.
The canned pineapple is a time saver but it can easily be substituted for any fresh fruit that has been chopped, diced, and drained well. Right now we’re seeing peaches, apples, nectarines, and apricots at our farmer's market. And just yesterday we saw bags of beautiful cherries at Wegmans. The key, is to drain the fruit well, otherwise the bottom layer of dough will get soggy.
Yields 32 squares
Dough
3 cups flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup butter
3 egg yolks
½ cup milk
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the flour with the baking powder and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. Mix the egg yolks with the milk and add to the flour. Knead the dough until all ingredients are incorporated well and the dough forms a ball.
Filling
5 cups crushed pineapple, drained
6 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup sugar
In a medium saucepan, mix the pineapple, cornstarch and sugar and cook on low heat until the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool.
Line a 10x15-inch baking pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll out the pieces of dough into rectangles, each large enough to fit in the prepared baking pan. Place one rectangle in the baking pan. Spread the pineapple mixture over the dough.
Cut the second dough rectangle into strips and arrange on top in a lattice design.
Topping
1 egg white, beaten
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Brush the top dough layer with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with the walnuts. Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven. Cool on a baking rack. Cut into squares and serve.
Smacznego!
Witamy!
Polish Baba’s, or Babka’s, are brioche-like cakes that are very popular on special holidays such as Easter or Christmas. They get their name after the long flowing skirts worn by the Babcia's or Grandmothers who baked these cakes many generations ago. Traditionally they are not filled, and often glazed with a light icing flavored with vanilla or rum, and often decorated with nut slices or candied fruit.
There are so many varieties of Baba’s in classic Polish baking…this is one of the more traditional versions which we like a lot because it is so flexible for changing up the flavorings. It is both fluffy and somewhat fragile, crumbling at a heavy touch. But it is surprisingly moist, and enhanced with the subtle aroma of vanilla and the brightness of lemon.
This Baba is perfect for an afternoon snack since it is not too sweet, light yet very flavorful - perfect with a cup of hot tea or coffee.
Serves 8-10
1/3 cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
4 eggs
4 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 medium lemon – zested and juiced
1½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Cream the butter with the sugar using a standing mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating at high speed. Add the yogurt, vanilla extract, lemon zest and juice, and beat 3 more minutes. Add the flour, baking powder and lemon zest, and beat 5 more minutes.
Grease a 9-inch bundt or tube pan well or spray the pan with a commercial baking spray. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter so the sides are higher than the center.
Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Test by inserting a toothpick into the center…the cake is done when the toothpick comes out clean.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Place a plate over the top of the pan and invert the pan onto the plate; then lift off the pan. Dust the baba with confectioners’ sugar before serving. Will be even more delicious with strawberries or other berries on the side.
Smacznego!
